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A Perfect Catch
Anna Sugden
He's the perfect catch…for now! When it comes to romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She's had epic passion–and problems!–with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water on their affair.Then an injury takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her services-providing business–even though he once claimed it was their biggest problem. Tracy's determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction between them that won't go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!
He’s the perfect catch…for now!
When it comes to romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She’s had epic passion—and problems!—with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water on their affair.
Then an injury takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her services-providing business—even though he once claimed it was their biggest problem. Tracy’s determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction between them that won’t go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!
“What are you doing here?”
Ike crossed his arms awkwardly over his broad chest. The bandages that covered his arm from fingers to shoulder hampered his movement. “I’m suffering enough without you adding to my misery.”
Ignoring the little sting his words gave her, Tracy smiled sweetly at him. “Ever the charmer, Ike. I thought I’d give the nurses a break from your delightful personality.” She flicked her finger at his hospital gown. “By the way, the pastel-blue flowers suit you.”
The gown should have looked silly on such an obviously masculine body. Instead, it actually emphasized his honed chest and arms, making him look more manly, rather than less.
Still, he didn’t need to know that. Nor that he’d made her pulse skip.
Dear Reader (#ulink_ef35ac25-06d8-5d7e-92ca-4a0b76026362),
It’s time to drop the puck on another story about the dedicated and delicious hockey players of the New Jersey Ice Cats! Welcome back to readers who’ve enjoyed the series so far, and thank you for your many lovely comments. If this is your first Ice Cats book, hello, and thanks for stopping by.
They say if two people are meant to be together, they’ll end up together. But what if for some reason the timing isn’t right? Although there are tragic stories of missed chances, you also hear many heartwarming stories about people finally getting together after many years. I like to believe that love will always find a way, although sometimes fate has to give a helping hand.
The moment Ike and Tracy appeared in A Perfect Distraction, I knew that for them the timing the first time around was definitely not right. It was also clear fate would have to use both hands to get this stubborn couple back together!
I love to hear from readers. Please write to me at anna@annasugden.com or Box 174, Regis House, 23 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1AH, England. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.
Anna Sugden
A Perfect Catch
Anna Sugden
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Former marketing executive ANNA SUGDEN loves reading romance novels and watching films with happy endings. She also loves watching hockey and football, where she prefers a happy ending for her teams. When she’s not researching hockey players (for her books, of course), she makes craft projects and collects penguins, autographs and memorabilia, and great shoes. Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her books and her shoes at annasugden.com (http://www.annasugden.com).
For Keith, all my love always
For Favourite Nephew, Matthew,
and Favourite Niece, Hannah—love you xx
Acknowledgments (#ulink_845ad09a-1ba3-541f-9a11-549856debae4)
My wonderful agent, Jill Marsal,
for all her support, advice and help.
Donna MacMeans and Cassondra Murray—
plotting has never been so much fun!
Beth Andrews, Terri Garey, Kathleen Long,
Janice Lynn and Tawny Weber—who are always
there for me.
The Romance Bandits—who make this
roller-coaster ride a blast!
Contents
Cover (#u3026ff29-73f4-585b-8bbf-84bb63a5a248)
Back Cover Text (#uc176fbfa-615c-5b41-b20a-c7b1e3b928b9)
Introduction (#u8bff9ed7-54c1-5bd6-975f-561442cb4d92)
Dear Reader (#u9f008be4-b754-5d6d-805e-a4008aed04f9)
Title Page (#u87720d78-1591-5033-8200-d30993f834a7)
About the Author (#ucbfb417f-dde9-527b-9370-9c6f844b113b)
Dedication (#udaadd5d3-d65e-539d-898b-fbc4ea89642b)
Acknowledgments (#ulink_5a941ab8-6e12-5e2b-9452-2e4933c5b30c)
CHAPTER ONE (#ub4e0289d-21ec-5703-a5b4-6f4a8553977f)
CHAPTER TWO (#u91d20deb-f0ab-5d75-a340-c38bb3ace74f)
CHAPTER THREE (#u9e285c56-7527-50e4-a32d-d1bdf0e49364)
CHAPTER FOUR (#ub8f7c992-6295-5eba-b311-28091d3ddf3c)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u3b250861-e3f3-5048-841d-bc4f1f7a1a89)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_f438f20d-2ea2-51aa-ac87-111f187b847e)
“WHY DOES IT take so long to have a baby?”
At her niece’s question, Tracy Hayden looked up from the stack of invoices she was logging into her business’s accounting system.
She smiled at Emily, who was playing a game on the other home-office computer. “They don’t have bar codes on their bums, so you can’t just pick them up at a grocery store.”
Tracy’s sister, Maggie, had gone to the hospital early that morning, when her water had broken. The latest update from Maggie’s anxious husband, Jake, at 5:00 p.m., had been that all was progressing well, if a bit slowly.
Now, at seven-thirty, ten-year-old Emily’s excitement was stretched thin by the lack of action.
“Very funny, Auntie Tracy.” The soon-to-be older sister rolled her eyes. “Do you think Mummy’s having a girl or a boy?”
“Hmm.” Tracy pretended to consider the question seriously. “I have a feeling the sproglet is a boy.”
Her niece leaned forward eagerly. “Why?”
Tracy lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Your mum put sugar in her cup of tea yesterday. They say you need extra sweetness if you’re having a boy.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “She also ate a whole bar of Cadbury’s chocolate from her stash.”
“Aha.” Tracy snapped her fingers. “That settles it.”
“A baby brother would be okay,” Emily mused. “He wouldn’t want any of my things. Plus he’ll like sports. I could teach him to skate and play hockey.”
Tracy clipped the invoices together, then slipped them into a folder marked November Bills. She’d allocate them to the appropriate accounts tomorrow. “That would be nice.”
“Maybe he’ll even get to play on the Ice Cats like Daddy Jake.”
Jake “Bad Boy” Badoletti was a star defenseman for the local professional hockey team, the New Jersey Ice Cats. He and Maggie had gotten together after his transfer from Chicago a few years ago, when Maggie had helped him find a place to live. Though she’d been wary of falling for another pro athlete after escaping an abusive marriage to Emily’s father—an English Premier League soccer player—Jake had eventually won the hearts of both mother and daughter. As well as being an avid fan of her stepfather’s team, Emily had also become a good mites’ hockey player.
The child pouted. “It’s not fair that girls can’t play for the Ice Cats.”
“You never know. Maybe you’ll be the second woman to play in the NHL.”
“But Manon Rhéaume was a goaltender.” Em wrinkled her nose. “I want to be a forward and score lots of goals.”
Naturally. Her niece was all about action.
The phone rang, startling them both.
Tracy’s heart leaped into her throat as she saw Jake’s number. She snatched up the receiver. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He sounded a little befuddled. “We have a boy. Eight pounds, six ounces. Mom and son both doing well. Dad’s not sure he ever wants to go through that again.”
“Isn’t that supposed to be Maggie’s line?” Tracy said drily.
“She had an epidural. I did the whole thing without anesthetic.”
She laughed. “A tough guy like you can’t handle childbirth. I’m shocked.”
“I can’t believe, having survived it once with Emily, she’d be willing to do it again.” He paused and Tracy could almost feel his shudder down the phone. “Maggie’s one tough cookie.”
“She certainly is.”
Despite what she’d been through, Maggie had not only managed to make a fresh start in the US, but she’d also embraced marriage again.
Something Tracy couldn’t do after her own disastrous experience.
That mess wasn’t something she wanted to think about. Not when there was a new life to celebrate. “So, are you up for visitors?”
“Sure. Whenever you can get here. I’ll call my parents next and get them to pass the news to everyone else.”
After she’d hung up, Tracy turned to Emily. “A boy,” she said smugly.
“You rock, Auntie Tracy.” Emily reached across the back-to-back desks to fist-bump her. “When can we go to see him?”
“Right now.” Tracy saved her files, then switched off her computer and stood. “Get your coat and we’ll head over.”
Em dashed out of the office. A moment later, she stuck her head back around the door. “Don’t forget the teddy bear.”
“I won’t. He’s already in the gift bag by the front door.”
